Squatters Beware

As I've been ignoring my blog and instead spending my days on Amazon for all my Christmas shopping needs, David did a little scouting for me while in Saudi Arabia. He's found that they don't take kindly to squatters in the Kingdom ...

I wonder what the penalty for illegal squatting is?

Please note the ✔ (Proper) and X (Improper) techniques

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Texas Twosome

Hmm, not so sure if Mickey D's serves coons...

Ticketable Offense?

Land Cruisers aren't the only things rolling in Doha...

I wonder where the "jumping the light" ticket was mailed?

Source: Thanks for posting to twitter, @ibn_adem!

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Three Generations

A little post Thanksgiving dinner action...

No technology generation gap in my family
Yep, that's my mom ;-D

Pictured: Me, Kayla, Kristi, Mom, Shea

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Deep in the Heart of...

Texas!

My welcome home breakfast courtesy of a
missed connection, Qatar Airways, and The Marriott

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like

....Dandruff?

Someone seriously needs to invest in some Head & Shoulders...

Or wait, would that be Headless Shoulders?
Whatever. I report, you decide ;)

P.S. Those are some pretty nice looking fiber optic trees with not too bad prices. Don't hesitate if you're interested. In Doha, it is here today and gone tomorrow!

~Al Ansar, City Center Mall, November 16, 2011

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Score Ten for Germany

Thirty six hours post holiday and I can honestly say I'm happy to be back in Doha, not for a lack of a royal time, but for the perfect climate that November brings to the desert. The brrrr factor came into effect the last night in Germany, so we stuck close to our castle room. That would be "inside" close. We didn't even leave for dinner. I sliced up the complimentary apples in the room, scraped up a snack pack of peanuts from our carry on, scooped up the chocolates left on our pillows and voila, din din. Did I mention that The Bellamy Brothers were playing on the radio? Could it get any cozier? No polka bands within earshot. It was a great, relaxing getaway. Germany and Austria, as it is, have colorful landscapes, but what an unexpected bonus we received for going in the fall. The bursts of reds, yellows and oranges in the foliage were amazing. Germany was already ranked at the top of our list of vacations and this trip certainly didn't lower the score. Put it on your bucket list. You won't be sorry.

Castle Hotel Auf Schoenburg
in Oberwesel on The Rhine River

View from the castle grounds

Next stop: TEXAS for me~this Friday, November 18th, while David leaves the same day for The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Continuing Through Germany...

We took the scenic route through some tiny towns...

but we eventually made it to Heidelberg...

Schloss (castle) Heidelberg

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Forging Ahead

With Innsbruck behind us, we were back on the road...

Stopped at Lindau Island in Germany on Lake Constance for the night...

Views from our room

Next stop, we're thinking Heidelberg, but that could change in the blink of eye.

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On the Road Again...

heading to Innsbruck, Austria...

...and now forging ahead to who knows where!

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Road Trip

...through Germany enjoying the fall leaves

A bit of a change of scenery from Doha!

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360 Restaurant

So here's the lowdown on The Torch Hotel's 360 Restaurant that we talked about a few days ago. Everyone needs to do it at least once, if not for the food, for the experience itself. Where else will you get a spectacular 360 degree view of Doha without leaving your chair and from 47 stories up? Pretty intense. So intense that on the ride up, Kristi announces, "I think I'm going to throw up". Not exactly reassuring "pre~meal" words. So what abut the food? There was an express lunch menu that offered three courses with several options each for 85QR ($23). Let's take it a course at a time.

Kristi and I both opted for the cauliflower soup for our "small" starter. It was delicious. If you don't like salmon, do not let the mention of it in the soup's name scare you off. It's one bite sized piece for decoration and did nothing whatsoever to taint the soup.

Time for the main course. Kristi ordered the "Grilled New Zealand Lamb Medallions". She found it to have more than just a mild wild taste. Also, she was sad to see such a measley portion of broccoli, but enjoyed the two florets, along with her roasted potatoes.

I ordered the "Broiled North Atlantic Salmon". I'm still trying to muddle through exactly why I got that, because it's never been one of my favorites. Unfortunately, 360's version didn't change my mind, but I did love the gravy that came with it. The "potato puree", aka mashed potatoes in my small world, were rich and yummy.

We ordered the "Nougatine Parfait" and the "White Chocolate Brownie...yada, yada, yada for dessert. Why are the food titles so long winded? Cut to the chase, please. The brownie didn't really seem so much, well a brownie that I'm used to anyway. And that huge lemon looking thing on top is passion fruit sorbet that will keep your mouth in a puckered state for a week of Sundays. The parfait was pretty good, nothing I'd write home about, hmm, or is that what I'm doing now?

Bottom line: 85Qr for a 3 course meal in a really nice restaurant in Doha is a pretty good deal. Even though we weren't "wowed" over by our first experience, I'm really glad we visited 360. The menu, we were told, will change weekly. So, maybe we will make better choices next time.

Cheapskate advice of the day: Drink your after dessert coffee at your favorite local chain afterward, unless you want to pay 27QR for a cup half the size that they offer. Ciao!

Last weeks menu...

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